The U.S. Forest Service has released the fourth in a series of videos about fuel management and wildfire. This four-minute episode explains the importance of routine, low intensity fire within California’s fire adapted ecosystems. It also covers the consequences of removing low intensity fire from these same landscapes including the buildup of hazardous fuels.
Low Intensity Fire – California FOREST NEWS – Episode #4 from Pacific Southwest Region on Vimeo.
How ’bout we stop blaming generations and get on reworking all the NEPA BS laws and get back to actual planning. After being out of the industry fo a bit, I see alot of accusatory between the generations. Granted, my “boomer” generation brought this on, but remember we have had ALOT of time during the winter to get all the ‘ologists from the Feds and States to get their act together. This only demonstrates that DC has NOT given enough money to the LMAs to conduct proper management BUT on the other hand, even my Forestry school never taught us political acumen on how to request (“beg”) for funding or how to really act in DC when it comes to forest management.. But to continually point fingers aren’t we violating the very rules of the After Action Review(AAR)? LOLOLOL
Mills are maxed with black wood. Industry lands get first dibs on the mills space for salvage.
Sure, thinning is an effective fuels treatment, but fuels accumulate faster than board feet. Timber cannot be relied on to maintain a landscape that requires low intensity fire every 10 years. The science is clear, burn it under conditions we choose or watch it burn under the conditions we do not choose. We need many scattered large blocks (2,000 – 4,000 acres) of low-moderate severity fire effects to save the place.
The primary limit to getting good fire on the ground is lack of personnel. We are unlikely to get our act together in time. We throw as much money as it takes to suppress a fire, but we do a terrible job on the pro-active side.
Models suggest that area burned will really start to decline within the next 10 years. Unfortunately, it is because there wont be much left to burn. Those models also suggest that area burned will pick up again as things grow back, but there wont be any timber to pay for any treatments, as so much will have been lost.
Always entertaining to read comments from the old timers whose failed forest management led us into our current mess complain about how current land managers are trying to fix the problem they created. Good times.
Agreed. Very much enjoy Frank Carroll’s plentiful Red Herring.
Psilocybe cubensis is related to herrings.
Old guy has been around long enough to know what he is talking about!! Too often these so-called low intensity fires get out of control . The USFS response –Oh well ,can’t be helped!
Prescribed fire (Rx) by another name???
“Low intensity fire” during what season? We’ve had our fill of so-called “managed wildfire.” Wait until you see the bill from lawsuits being filed as we speak, before you suggest or even think of putting more fire on the ground that isn’t Rx fire.
This video is a hard sell on the need for fire in the eco system, and most of us with years of experience, would say “yes, if it is within prescription conditions,” but not during the “fire season” when it can blow up and become totally out of control.
Did the authors of the video even consider “managing the timber stands (fuels) vs using fire? Using timber receipts for aggressive thinning where needed to reduce threats? Demanding more monies for fuel treatments (mechanical thinning; Rx fire; WUI treatments w/coop monies from the States & Counties)? And what about aggressive salvage of the 90 million acres across the West of dead and dying forests? Why is almost nothing being done about that to reduce the threat of fires?
We have been driving through 160 míes of burned landscapes. High Intensity and high severity wildfires. These videos are about low intensity, low severity fires. The outrageous burning of the West is lawless and outrageous. Stop it
Early happy hour today, Frank?